1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer-implemented graphics systems, and in particular, to clipping a portion of a drawing using an arbitrary graphical entity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer-implemented graphics systems have been widely used by designers, illustrators, drafters, and engineers for a number of years. Most such graphics systems use a two-dimensional (2D) graphical user interface (GUI) to display graphical images, such as 2D or three-dimensional (3D) models, schematic diagrams, photo-realistic images, etc. When a 3D object is displayed in a 2D GUI, the operator may desire to define the shape and structure of the viewing area. A viewport is a graphical entity, which displays a subset of the overall drawing (referred to as the viewport's contents) within its boundaries. Prior art methods do not provide the ability to define an arbitrary viewing area that is dynamically updated and based upon another arbitrary graphical entity.